Brooder Heaters?

[Nacadoodledo]

I've obtained four metal brooders in fair shape but the heaters are all bad. I was thinking of installing light bulbs wired through a thermostat.
My question is, what wattage of bulbs? or any other ideas for heaters ? Brooders are stackable.
Thanks,
Bill

[CharlieHorse]

Why not just fix the heater?  Heating elements are cheap! Bulbs create problems that you normally wouldn't have with a heating element, and less likely to burn out.

Look here:

http://www.thatquailplace.com/smf/index.php?topic=3779.0


And.......

[CharlieHorse]

Depending on the brooder/brand, parts may still be available for your brooders. Most of the parts are relatively inexpensive. The metal brooder of mine that I had posted earlier did not have any sort of brand name or identification markings, so I used this element out of an incubator to repair mine:

http://www.cutlersupply.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_32&products_id=310

There's also these possible options:

http://www.cutlersupply.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_72_74&products_id=373

http://www.cutlersupply.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_72_74&products_id=375

I used a 2 foot, 110volt baseboard heater in another brooder that I made.....it works great.

[Nacadoodledo]

Thanks for the links guys, that replacement element ought to work fine, I'd been unable to to find that in my searches.
Bill

[makesmiles]

Just to add to the discussion.  I have four homemade brooders and I use two light bulbs in each for heat with wafer thermostats.  I use 100 watt bulbs painted red with high temp spray paint.  Higher or lower wattage bulbs work also.  I have used as low as 40 and as high as 150.  The thermostat just clicks the lights on and off as needed to maintain temp.  I use two bulbs just in case one burns out.  What I don't like about the heating elements is that if it goes out while you have birds in there, then you are scrambling to replace it.  With my system, changing the wafer thermostat parts or the whole thermostat and the bulbs is quick and easy.  I also use the ceramic bulb holders instead of the plastic.  I find that they are much more reliable and last for decades.  I have some that I have used for over 20 years.

Just my opinion.

Thanks David